Mark AdamsCreating a marketing plan doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. All that is required is your time, effort and creativity. These ideas will get you started.
Why break the bank for your marketing needs when you can brainstorm your way to a killer marketing plan? The best marketing ideas are simple and inexpensive, but they don’t come out of the blue. They require an out-of-the-box, innovative thought process. Always remember that building your brand is a perpetual process, so get into the right mindset from day one.
We must know our consumer. We must know what they expect and what they are looking for. Our consumer isn’t going to sit back and wait for you to fill the information vacuum. They’re running their own show, and they already have a roadmap of where they want to go. We must have an idea of where they are headed.
The best marketing plan is a simple one. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated, but it has to be thought out. And you have to be creative. You don’t go to the local printing store and print your hand-drawn signs on glossy paper. You’re not going to throw your business card on a desk at a big company or send it in an e-mail to 500 people. That doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to have a plan.
Our first goal: to build a fan base of people that will spread the word about us.
We’re heading into the marketing world with no experience. We’ll need to learn how to design a good logo, develop a marketing strategy based on a consumer-type profile, and how to write a compelling sales message. We must create a launch plan, which will include all the marketing pieces that we plan to use.
It’s a good idea to test a sales message in the field before you hire a team of salespeople. This will let you know what works best.
Yes, this will be more difficult than creating a background check on a new employee, but you can learn a great deal from this experience and apply it to your online marketing strategy.
The next step is to use your marketing plan to reach your target market. We’ll get to that next.
We can’t build a community of brand advocates without marketing plan that is entertaining in its own right. We have to make sure that people who receive our message feel comfortable. We have to make sure they’re highly interested in our product, so they’ll spread the word about us.
One method we’ll use to create an efficient and cost-effective marketing plan for your startup company is the pay-as-you-go marketing plan.
If you don’t have the budget for traditional advertising, the next best option is reach out to our friend the internet. In most cases, this strategy will cost as much as traditional forms of advertising, but you’ll achieve better results. The internet provides a 24/7 audience and is accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
You can do this by planting your name everywhere you can, and all at no cost!
The name of the game is branding, or building up a natural appeal and recognition among consumers. We need to get our product out in the market. We need to get the word out.
As you know, this doesn’t have to cost big money. Build a buzz within your target market with a low-cost marketing plan, and you’ll be surprised at the results.
With the growth of social media, it’s easier than ever to establish a marketing plan that can help you develop a fan base for your product.
We’ll need to create a product review page that is built into your website. This way, when people submit product reviews and rate your product, there’s more exposure. Many people will see your product and become better customers. If they’re cross-shopping, we can increase our sales even more.
Let’s say you’re selling dog collars. You want to create a page where people can create reviews. The reviews will appear on your website, on the main page of your Facebook page, and on Twitter. This is the easiest to accomplish and will cost you nothing.
You’ve got a fan base established, and you have converts that are perfect customers for your product. Now it’s time to begin our marketing plan.
First, you’ll need to come up with a catchy name that you can trademark and that will work with all of your marketing plans.
You can find a name to fit your product in just about every category. Check your local dictionary and look for a word that describes your product. It can be a new or existing term. You can also use your company’s name in the brand.
You want to make sure people recognize your product name across all of your promotions and marketing plans.
When you’re evaluating a name, you need to be aware that it needs to be easy to spell and easy to pronounce. A name is only as good as the people who can use it.
Next, you will need to put together a team to design your logo. This can be a hard process that takes much time and money. A good logo will bring much success to your brand.
Your logo will make up your visual identity. This will be a universal product identifier. It will be the visual representation of your business. The logo is extremely important, because it allows customers to identify your business.
Study the logos on your competitors’ websites. Look for a simple design. These logos are professional and attractive.
It’s important that people know the name of your company. Make it clear. One way to do this is to use a recognizable phrase. Is your company name a phrase or an expression that is commonly spoken? Make sure that your name is high on the list of search terms.
Once you’ve decided on a great name for your company, it’s time to design the perfect logo. You can find a great logo in the local library or on the internet.
Avoid using an image or something that is copyrighted from another company. You want to use a recognizable image, so it can be easily identified. You don’t want to design your own unless you’re very talented.
A logo design is very expensive to create. You need to develop your aesthetic sense and get creative. There is a great deal of variety in design and typeface usage. This is why companies like Google and Facebook have such great logos.
The right typeface is important because it sets the tone of your branding. You want your brand to be professional and crisp.
The color scheme will be a solid color. The actual color can be determined by the logo, but the color scheme will establish your brand. You want to include a few shades of the color to create a contrast. For example, you’ll likely use burgundy to draw attention, while turquoise is used in the background to contrast.
Now it’s time to get your marketing plan in place. We’ll use a template that will help our sales team establish branding for our product.
If you can find a graphic designer, you can begin your own logo design process, but we have one readily to hand. Each person on the team will have the opportunity to create a logo at no cost, other than postage. The logo can be sent in an e-mail.
When creating your marketing plan, you’re going to need to know both the consumer and the target market. You’ll need to know your audience’s definition of your product and brand.
You’ll want to test various materials and designs to make your marketing plan efficient. Once you have chosen an image that will work for your company, the next step will be to get the graphics to a printing company or photo lab.
This will cost you a couple of dollars. It’s a great deal, and worth it.
While testing imagery, keep in mind the uses of the icons. These are great to include in your marketing plan. You want to make sure the icons are recognizable, bright, and attractive, while at the same time being useful and informative.
You need to present your branding and in-depth visual identity to the public.
When you’re selling your product, make sure that you hand out your products to as many people as you can. It’s important to distribute your products to people, as opposed to having people come to you. You can do this by attending local expos and taking part in local street fairs.
We’ll begin our marketing plan with an app. An app is downloadable software that runs on smartphones. Most people check their phones at least once every few minutes. They access the internet while on the bus or train. These are some of the favorite places to look for public feedback.
You can put promotions and giveaways for your product in your app that can be downloaded for free. The app is a very popular marketing method.
We’ll also be creating a Facebook app that is available to anyone with a smartphone. This app will allow us to make personalized postings and updates.
We all know marketing is essential for all businesses, but it’s even more important for startups. Unless people know about your startup and what it offers, they probably won’t buy your products or services.
At Kobe Digital, we come across all types of businesses. Most all of them are concerned with growth, but none are more hungry for growth than startups. Whether it’s the next big SaaScompany or a new chain of Thai ice cream shops, startups are a completely different animal when it comes to marketing.
Since marketing for startups is such a unique case, this guide should give founders a good place to start. As your business grows and expands its presence, it may attract customers through word of mouth. Until that happens, though, you should prioritize the following marketing strategies to spread the word about your startup.
What needs to be done?
Hit The Ground Running
You must be on the drawing board raring to go on day one. It’s essential that you market your product and brand from day one. You need to focus on building your email list, designing T-shirts and using social media.
One of the best ways to promote your brand is to create a company website that has all of your information and products for sale. You should also write a press release that is released on relevant publications, blogs and forums.
The Kickstarter hype is real. A viral video can go viral quickly if it’s done right. Likewise, you can also make videos that are relevant to your product.
You can also make a short video of your product in action. Show users how it works and show them how it’s different from other products on the market. If the video is well-created, it can go viral.
When you have your product on hand, give your marketing strategy a test drive. You need to contact as many customers as you can and deliver your product to new markets. Replying to social media posts and looking for opportunities to talk with prospects will provide you with the opportunity to expand your business.
Distribute Rewards
Your product should be offered at a price that is affordable to customers. You need to be friendly and identify your company as a customer-support business. You don’t want to be just a vendor who can fulfill orders.
You’ll need to send rewards to customers if you expect them to respond to you. With certain products like software, hardware or branded merchandise, you can give customers free samples or offer them discounts.
